Controller-operating handle for electric cars.



B. K. HOPMANN. CONTROLLER OPERATING HANDLE FOE ELEGTRIO CARS.

APPLIOATIOI TILED APR. 8, 1 909.

WITNESSES:

NORRIS PEfrERS. INC. Lmm wAsnmmon D C Patented .June 8, 1909.

'm y'xconcem:

ha I EMILKI HoFMAnN a States, residing at Airof Essex and State of nvented a new and use- Controller Operating Cars, of wlfiich. the folrnL n Romanian; m ma -i i 7 i lameness:ma wsen mscmd ems.

Specification of Letters'fPat'entM z raienped' Jane B, 1509. A' p ilica tionfile d A i 8,21909. 'seriiii'rro'..4aa, 45. ,p '7

wheni the, handle is down, all the portions (1, e, beingrnade inone integral piece.

The socket f supports in the ordinary mannerthe lower end of theihandle y, preferably of wood, which is adapted to be rotated around an upright post h whose screw threadedupper end is provided with a nut i 10"provedconstructionof the handle which is rowing fi's "spe fie tion; This 1m i Y which rests on an annular shoulder in on the e mje t relates to a new and 1m inner surface of the chamber Zin the handle. Anon-metallic plug m is set in the upper end of the ihandle and revents contact of the" handwiththe post v The portion dof the handle comprises parallel side walls n, a to integralwith said side walls and provi ed with a downemovably'ap liedto and supported'by the jfcontroller-shattw "ch, extends centrally up l r m l f cni' ne cylinder. 1 a I Theprin objecto'f the invention is t X handle which'will not readilybe of removal fro to the motors of the electric car.

i'coms-'l bse by're n' of wear, which can be easily fiadjusted 1 and tightened, and which "cannot beliftd off bodily without swinging the handle upward, thus rendering it diflicult he controller-shaft by boys 1"or othei s-inclined to tamper with the mech anism forcontrolling the 'powerwhich leads "-The nature offthe inventionis fully; de

wardlyextending curved'overhang or guard r,.,and the ordinary downwardly extending lug g; whereby the movement of the handle when," it is swung is limited by the stop 0 "which extends up from the controller-casing.

Pivotally suppbrtedby means of a horizontal pin or bolt 3 sustained at its opposite ends by the walls n isla vertically swinging clamp,

comprising the head or solid portion t throughwhich said pin 8 extends andthe 1 aysmall portion f of 't 1 takeir on'flifn'e ilaffl ter V responding-parts;

*scribed inide't'ail elow,- and illustrated in the a eo p hr iie" d aw ng n which "Figure. l lis'la front elevation showing a portion of the upper'eiidsof the controller-cylinder and controllershaft with my improved eupper end-of the controller-cylinder'gwith the controller-shaft ex "tending upwardtherefrom, and a view partly :fin' se'ctionf'and artly in-elevation of my in' iroved 'operatinghandlelifted oil the shaft. y, ig 3 is a horizont'alisection taken on line s a cross verticalsection Fig. 1.

a represents a, portion of the controller- .JcaSingfand-btlie hpper end of the controllershaft whioliextends centrally down into the cylinder..,, The operation of this cylinder and shaft is well linownan'cl needs no detailed de scri tion. Theupper end of the shaftb is pre 'erably squafred'on 'three'sides and curved at c on its front edge, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The main portion of the controller-handle consists of a preferably metallic bar or lever,

and the socket or cup f which is orizontal jreference indicate corre- I I is profvlde'd wlth a notch 2 into which a stop jaws u. The outer portions of these jaws are normally substantially parallel and ate the k I broaden into the rear parallel portions. '20.

the parts i, u, v and wbeingfl integral and a made of brass or other material having sufficient spring. At an the inner surfaces of-tho jaws are rounded to correspond with the curved portion ,0 of the shaft b.

y represents a pairof'horizontal adjusting screws which extend through correspgnnlingly threaded portions" of the wallsn and bear against the outer surfac es of the parallel jaws u."

I The rear end ofthe portion t of theiclanip 7 j extends, 'saidstop being integral with the sic top f), and, in connection: with'the notch, operating .to 'hrint the V61tlC-2Ll swinging movement of the handle. p

, In'practicefwh'en the handle is down in operative position, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the clamp fits snugly'around the upper end of the shaft b and against all its sides, and is prevented from spreading by the screws 11 The friction between the clamp of the shaft is such that the handle cannot be removed without swinging. it up, and the friction between the inner ends of the screws and the jaws is such that it: requires some little force to swing the handle up into them from the shaft.

main in a iorizontal with the shaft 1) until the stop 3' has reached the lower end of the slot .2, and then a continued upward pull on the handle disengages The screws 3 not only serve to regulate the frictional hold of the jaws, but also to adjust the jaws to wear whether of the shaft or jaws, and especially to any wear or rounding of the corners of the shaft.

complished as in the pp a It will readily be seen that instead of the handle being easily lifted off the shaft (the more easily if the shaft is a little worn) it cannot be lifted off without first swin ing it up into substantially the position in icated in Fig. 2, and as this is not so apparent to an unauthorized person, and not so easily accase of handles as at present constructed, there is less danger of the handle being tampered with and power thus putting the passengers in peril, by 3 -1 03 or other unauthorized person. Of course as soon as the. handle is swung sufficiently up to lift the screws above the jaws it may be removed with ease.

To a ply the handle the clamp is simply -Elroppe over the upper end of the shaft b, and the handle pressed down into the osition illustrated in I'h'g. 1, in which position" it is absolutely unremovable except by first swinging the handle up whereby the screws release the jaws.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and {desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A controller-operating handle for electric cars, comprising a lower end formed with side walls, a clamp pivotally hung between said side walls and provided with substantially parallel jaws at its free end, adjusting screws extending throu h said side walls to the outer surfaces of the jaws, a gras ing portion at the outer end of the hand e, a rigid connection between said rasping portion and the ortion of the handle containing the side we s, and a controller-shaft, the

jaws being adapted to fit around the controller-shaft whereby when the handle is in engagement with the shaft the side walls are substantially horizontal and the jaws of the clamp are held against and in frictional engagement with the controller shaft and when the handle with its adjusting screws is swung up the jaws are released from such engagement for the purpose described.

2. A contro ler-operating handle for electric cars, comprising a lower end formed with side walls, a clamp between said side walls and pivotally connected at one end thereto and provided with substantially parallel spring-jaws at its opposite end, adjusting screws extending through said side walls and adapted to bear against the outer surfaces of t e jaws, a 'rasping portion at the outer end of the handle, a rigid connection between said raspin portion and that portion of the handle whic 1 contains the clamp, said connection extending upward at an angle from the portion containing the clamp, and a controller-shaft, the jaws being adapted to fit around the controller-shaft whereby when the lower portion of the handle is horizontal the jaws are held in frictional engagement with said shaft and when the handle with its adjusting screws is swung up the jaws are released from such engagement, for the purpose described.

3. A controller-operating handle for electric cars, a controller-shaft, a clamp pivotally sustained by the handle and adapted to fit against the upper end of the controller-shaft, and means intermediate of the clamp and the handle whereby when the handle is swung down to its lowest point the jaws are held tightly against the controller-shaft and when it 15 swung up the jaws release the controllershaft, for the urpose set forth.

4. A contro ler-operating' handle for electric cars, a controller-shaft, a clamp pivotally sustained by the handle and adapted to fit against the upper end of the controller-shaft,

means intermediate of the clamp and the,

handle whereby when the handle is swung down to its lowest point the jaws are held tightly against the controller-shaft and-when it is swung up the jaws release the controllershaft, and means for limiting'the upward swing of the handle, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL- K. HOFMANN.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, M. A. A'rwoon. 

